Plant setting machine



Jan. 13, 1.953

c. L. CARELOCK PLANT SETTING MACHINE 6.."Sh'eets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 10, 1947 lllz'eutor Glabde L. Garelock a Attorneys Vm Fm mm mm v k B VN M MW VJ o QQ w NO b ...L o v mm mm m o mm a mm mmw VQ vn mm (Hymn mm m whw w- Z Q Q Q m- N: NM

Jan. 13, 1953 c. 1.. CARELOCK PLANT SET'iING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 10, 1947 Claude L. Garelock Jan. 13, 1953 c. 1;. CARELOCK 2,625,122

PLANT SETTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 10, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet s Fig. 4.

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Inventor Claude L. Carelock Aw WW ZY/wg Jan. 13, 1953 c. CARELOCK 2,625,122

PLANT SETTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 10, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 5.

Q "In IIO I09 Inventor in Claude L. Garelock WWW fi/mg Jan. 13, 1953 c. 1.. CARELOCK PLANT SETTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 10, 1947 Inventor Claude L. Care/00k Jan. 13, 1953 c. L. CARELOCK PLANT SETTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Jan. 10. 1947 IIIIIIIII j w w M u 0 m s w 0. y L 4.. mm M mm p i O R lllll F m.) Qmn mm JR 1 In 8 v R R om wk 5 mm AV E.

Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLANT SETTING MACHINE Claude L. Carelock, Douglas, Ga.

Application January 10, 1947, Serial No. 721,244

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a novel machine for setting plants in the earth in uniformly spaced relation.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above kind embodying a novel plant setting wheel having pivoted plant-receiving buckets, and novel means to constantly maintain said buckets in upright position.

Another object is to provide plant-receiving buckets of novel form, and novel means for successively opening the buckets at the bottom of the plant setting wheel to deposit the plants in a furrow.

A still further object is to provide means to facilitate variation of the number of plant buckets carried by the plant setting wheel with the buckets uniformly spaced.

Further objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description when considered with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of machine embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly broken away.

Figure 3 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of a portion of the plant setting wheel.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing a portion of one of the front supporting wheels and the ratchet driving connection between the hub of said wheel and its axle.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing one of the foot levers and its associated rack segment which form part of means to quickly raise and lower the rear end of the rear section of the subframe to respectively render the'furrowopening, plant setting and furrow-closing means inoperative and operative with relation to the earth.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing a portion of the plant setting wheel, the water control valve, and the actuating means for said valve.

Figure 10 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken through the plant setting wheel on line lll,lll of Figure 2.

. Figure 11 isv an enlarged detail view, partly in sideelevation and partly in section, showing details of the clutch means for disconnecting the driving connection between the front axle and the plant setting wheel when the latter is raised to an inoperative position relative to the earth.

Figure 12 is a transverse section taken on line i2-l2 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a section taken on line 13-43 of Figure 12.

Figure 14 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, showing a modification of the plant setting wheel.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated form of the invention includes an open elongated main frame Ill mounted near its front end upon a rotatable transverse axle I I provided on its end portions with supporting wheels l2, and at its rear end upon caster wheels [3. The wheels [2 are slidably mounted on the axle H, and the mounts of the caster wheels I3 are adjustable toward or away from each other transversely of the frame ID to vary the width of the wheel tracks in accordance with the spacing of the rows of plants, so that the wheels will run between the row being planted and. the rows at opposite sides thereof. The frame [0 is composed of spaced side rails l4 connected by a transverse rear rail I5 and having forwardly converging front end portions It provided with spaced parallel front terminals 11 between which is secured at is the rear end of a draft bar or tongue l9. The side rails l4 carry bearings 20 in which the axle H is journalled, and a ratchet driving connection is provided between each wheel 52 and the axle H as shown in Figure 7, so that said wheels I2 will only drive said axle H upon forward travel of the machine. Each ratchet driving connection includes a ratchet wheel 2i keyed on the axle II, and pivoted pawls 22 engaging said ratchet wheel and mounted in the hub 23 of the associated wheel 2. The mount of each caster wheel I3 comprises a fork 23 in which the wheel is journalled, a vertical post 25, a shaft 26 fixed at its lower end to fork 24 and rotatably and slidably fitted in the post 25, a spring 21 on the shaft 26 between the lower end of post 25 and the fork 24 to cushion shocks incident to passage of the wheel over obstructions or inequalities in the ground surface, and a bracket plate 28 fixed to the post 25 and bolted at 29 to the rear rail IS, the plate 28 having horizontal elongated slots 30 to receive the bolts at 29 and provide for the lateral adjustment of the caster wheels.

Clamped at 3! in cradles 32 secured on the side rails I4 is a transversely disposed water tank 33 provided with a downwardly and rearwardly extending pipe line 34 having a laterally extending discharge spout 35 at its lower end located to one side of the lower path of plant buckets hereinafter described and adapted to deliver a supply of water to the plant in each bucket just before it is deposited in the furrow. The pipe line 3 3 is provided with a spring-closed valve 36 having an operating lever 31 adapted to be actuated for opening the valve by the rock shafts, on which the buckets are mounted, at the proper moments to momentarily deliver supplies of water to the buckets.

Two seats 33 are mounted on the rear rail IS in side by side relation to accommodate operators whose duty is to insert a plant in each bucket as it moves upwardly and forwardly in front of said operators at the rear of the plant setting wheel.

Disposed below and within the area bounded by the main frame ii) is a sub-frame composed of a short forward section 39 pivoted between its ends at 39 to brackets cl carried by the main frame for vertical swinging movement, and a long rear section 42 similarly pivoted near its forward end at 43 on the axle H, the section 39 comprising spaced members having forked rear ends 44 in which are pivotally engaged lateral pins 45 carried by the forward ends of spaced side members of the section 42. Thus, by raising and lowering the rear end of section 42, the front end of section 39 will be correspondingly moved. A bracket 46 attached to section 42 supports the lower part of line 36 in proper position.

The rear end of section 42 is vertically adjusted by jack means including a jack screw 41 movable through a vertical cylinder 48 fixed to the rear rail I5, a foot member 49 fixed on the lower end of jack screw 41 and engaged beneath the rear member of section 42, and-a nut member 50 resting on the upper end of cylinder 48 and having threaded engagement with jack screw 41. By turning nut member 50 in one direction the rear end of section 42 and the front end of section 39 will be raised, and by turning said nut member in the opposite direction, such ends of the sections will be allowed to lower by gravity, thereby vertically adjusting relative is the ground a furrow opening plow carried by the front of section 39, and a plant setting wheel 52 and wheels 53, for packing earth in the furrow around each plant, carried by the section 42 rearwardly of its pivotal axis at 43. The foot member 49 has a rearward extension #5 provided with an upwardly extending guide rod 50 that slides through a tubular guide 5! fixed to the rear rail Hi. This prevents turning of jack screw 41 and braces the foot member 49 against bending relative to the jack screw.

Means are also provided, one within convenient reach of each of the operators occupying the seats '38, for quickly raising the plow 5|, wheel 52 and wheels 53 to inoperative positions above and clear of the ground, so that the machine may be readily transported when not in use. Each such means includes toggle links 54, one having its outer end pivoted at 55 to the lower end of a bracket 56 depending from a side rail I4 of the main frame 10, and the other having its outer end pivoted to the rear portion of subframe section 42. A rock shaft 5'! journalled in bracket 56 has a depending crank arm 58 connected to the pivotal connection between the toggle links 54 by a link 59. Fixed on shaft 51 is 4 the lower end of foot lever 60 having a pedal actuated latch bolt 6! coacting with a rack segment 62 to releasably secure the lever 60 in adjustably swung positions. By tilting the pedal 63 of lever 60, the bolt 61 may be released, thereby permitting the lever 60 to be pressed forwardly. This causes arm 58 to pull the link 59 rearwardly so as to straighten the toggle links 54. As the pivot 55 of the lower link 54 cannot lower, the upper link 54 raises the rear end of section 42 so as to elevate the elements 5| 52 and 53, as stated, the bolt 6i holding the lever an in its forwardly pressed position to keep said elements raised until such time as the bolt BI is released,

The plow 51 is secured on the lower end of a jointed shank 64 which allows the plow to yield and ride over rocks or other obstructions without causing damage to the plow, forward and rearward yielding of the plow being yieldingly resisted by springs 65 placed on a rod 65 that is hinged to the plow and slides through a guide bracket 61 carried by sub-frame section 39. The springs 65 are arranged above and below the bracket 61 and between the latter and abutments 68 on the rod 5 6.

The invention provides a plant setting mechanism for carrying the plants to planting position, and means for packing earth inthe furrow over the roots and around the lower part of each plant to hold the plants in proper upright planted position. The plant setting mechanism includes the plant setting wheel 52 which has a hub 69 that is provided with spaced parallel disks l0 and H of similar diameter and is journalled on a transverse axle 12 spanning the sub-frame section 4 2 and having its ends secured at 13 on the side members of each section, Mounted on and located between the disks l0 and H- adjacent the peripheries of the latter are a plurality of equally spaced plant buckets [4, each attached at the front and near the top to a bracket 15 fixed to the intermediate portion of a transverse horizontal rock shaft 16 which is removably mounted at its ends on the disks l0 and 1!, As shown in Figures 1, 5 and 10, one end of each rock shaft T6 is journalled in a peripheral radial notch or open slot 11 of disk 10, and the other end of such rock shaft is removably journalled at 1B in a hole of disk ll. Theaxle 12 has a forwardly offset end portion 15 on which is journalled a disk disposed eccentrically of the plant setting wheel. Each rock shaft 16 has a crank 8| at one end whose crank pin is journalled at 82 on or in the disk 80 near the periphery of the latter. Thus, as the plant setting wheel is rotated, the plant buckets are always maintained by the cranks 8i and disk 80 in an upright position.

Each plant bucket is of the dibble type and comprises an elongated tube having a flared upper end 83 to facilitate insertion of a plant therein and having its lower "end pointed by cutting it on a curve "at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the tube as at 84, Thus, by'adjusting the wheel 52 at the proper elevation, the lower end of each bucket may pierce the ground at the bottom of the furrow to insure firm setting of the plant in the ground when the earth is packed over the plant roots by the covering wheels 53 as the :bucket moves rearwardly and upwardly from the set plant. At its lower end, each bucket has a pivoted swingingclosure plate movable in an arc concentric with the edge of the tube at 84 and normally closed by gravity to retain the plant in the .bucket until the latter reaches the bottom of the wheel 52. The closure plate 85 is pivoted at 85' on a bail 86 embracing the bucket and hinged at 87 to the latter. A guide rod or bar 87 on the bucket slidably receives an eye 88 on the closure plate 85 to quickly swing the latter on the pivot 85 away from the lower end of the bucket as it is raised by swinging the bail 86 upwardly, and to limit downward movement of the closure plate to fully closed position. At the front side of its lower portion, each ibucket has an inlet spout 89 into which the supply of water is delivered from the discharge spout of the pipe line 39 as the bucket moves downwardly and rearwardly at the bottom of wheel 52. Supported by a bracket 99 attached to the sub-frame section 42 is a cam track 9I arranged in the path of a lever 92 fixed to the hinged end of the bail 88 of each bucket. The cam track 9I is located at the bottom of the wheel 52 so as to open the closure of each bucket as it reaches its lowermost position, thereby setting the plant in the furrow immediately after the supply of water is delivered to the bucket. The forward travel of the machine compensates for the rearward movement of the bucket, so that the latter leaves the set plant without disturbing its upright position. Immediately after the plant is set, the covering wheels 53 pack earth in the furrow over the roots of and around the lower part of the plant to hold it upright where it may effectively grow.

Ihe soil packing or covering wheels 53 are set in forwardly diverging relation at opposite sides of the row and at an oblique angle to the latter. They are journalled on the lower ends of suitable mounts 93 med to the rear member of sub-frame section 52.

Supported by standards 94 fixed to and rising from the side rails I 4 are trays 95 adapted to receive supplies of :plants to be set. Each tray is arranged in front of a seat 38 and at the rear of wheel 52 within convenient reach of the operator occupying said seat. Thus, the operators may take turns in placing plants in the plant buckets as they move upwardly at the back of said wheel 52.

The lever 31 is arranged in the path of the rock shafts 16 to one side of the buckets I4, so as to open the valve 35 and permit a supply of water to be delivered into the spout 89 of each :bucket as the latter approaches the bottom of wheel 52. As soon as the shaft I6 leaves the lever 31 the valve 39 closes to shut off the supply of water.

Wheel 52 is driven from axle II by a sprocket chain 98 passing around a sprocket wheel 91 journalled on axle II and a sprocket wheel 98 secured on the hub 99, means being provided to normally clutch the sprocket wheel 91 to axle II so that the wheel 52 will be driven when the machine is drawn ahead and the elements 5|, 52 and 53 are lowered to operative position, and to unclutch the same therefrom when the sub-frame section 92 is tilted to raise the plow 5|, wheel 52, and wheels 53 to inoperative position clear of the ground. The latter means may include a cone 99 slidably secured at 99 on the axle II and having a clutch element I99 slidable into and out of engagement with clutch teeth provided in the hub of sprocket wheel 97 at IN. A spring I92 engages the clutch element I99 with the teeth IIJI. Journalled at I93 on a pivot bolt carried by a bracket I94 attached to frame I9 is a lever having an arm I95 provided at its free end with a cam shoe I96 and an arm I91 whose outer end is pivoted to a rod I98 fixed to the sub-frame section 62 forwardly of axle II. The arrangement is such that whenthe section 42 is tilted to elevate the elements 5I, 52, and 53 clear of the ground, the shoe I98 will ride on the tapered face of cone 99 at a right angle to axle II, thereby moving the cone 99 against the action of spring I92 in a direction to disengage clutch element I99 from clutch teeth I9I and freeing the wheel 91 from axle I I. Conversely, when the section 42 is swung to lower the elements SI, 52 and 53 to operative position, the shoe I96 is disengaged from cone 99 and spring I92 moves said cone so as to engage element I99 with teeth I9I and thereby clutch wheel 91 to axle II.

Means is provided to facilitate variation of the number of plant buckets carried by the wheel 52 with the buckets uniformly spaced, so that spacing of the set plants may be varied according to the requirements of difierent kinds of plants. In the form of Figures 1 to 10, the disk IIlhas additional slots I99 and H9 similar to slots TI, and the disk II has additional holes I I I and H2 similar to the holes at 18. The slots I! and holes I8 are used when four buckets are employed, as shown. The slots I99 and holes II I are properly labelled and are arranged to receive the rock shafts I6 when five buckets are employed, and the slots H9 and holes II2 are labelled and arranged to receive the rock shafts 19 when six buckets are employed. Corresponding additional holes are provided in the eccentrio disk 89 to receive the crank pins of cranks 8| when five or six buckets are used. In the form of Figure 14, the same result is had by journalling the rock shafts I8 in bearings II3 and H4 bolted to peripheral flanges H5 and H6 of the disks I9 and 'II of the plant setting wheel and by journalling the crank pins of cranks 8| in bearings I I1 bolted to the peripheral flange I I8 of the eccentric disk 89', the flanges H5, H6 and H8 having additional holes II9, I29 and I2I to facilitate bolting of additional bearings H3, H4 and Ill respectively on the disks 19', 'II' and 89 when five or six buckets are used.

In operation, the operators occupying the seats 38 are provided with supplies of plants which are placed on the trays 95. With the elements 5|, 52 and 53 properly lowered and the sprocket wheel 91 clutched to axle II, the machine is moved ahead so as to drive the wheel 52 in the direction of arrow a. The operators then take turns in placing plants in the buckets, one plant being placed in each bucket as it moves upwardly at the rear of the wheel 52. When each bucket approaches the ground at the bottom of wheel 52 the rock shaft I9 of the bucket depresses lever 31 and opens valve 36 to supply the roots of the plant with water from tank 33. The shaft I6 then leaves lever 31 and allows the valve 38 to close, during which time the lever 92 of the bucket bail 86 rides under track 9| and opens the bucket closure so as to set the watered plant in the furrow. As the machine continues on, the bucket rises from the set plant and soil falls into the furrow and onto the plant roots from the sides of said furrow. This and additional soil immediately forced into the furrow by the wheels 53 is packed onto the plant roots and around the lower part of the plant by said wheels 53 to retain the plant upright after the bucket completely leaves the plant. The bucket coacts with the top of the plant in leaving the latter to hold the plant upright until the packing of the soil is substantially completed by the wheels 53. The water flows from the bucket to the roots of the plant while soil falls into the furrow onto said roots, thereby aiding packing of the soil and propagation of the plant. As soon as the bucket completely leaves the set plant, the lever 92 rides from beneath the track 91 and allows the closure 85 to gravitate to closed position so that the bueket is readied for receptibn of another plant.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the invention providesa machine which efieot ively accomplishes the stated objects. Changes in details 'of oonstruotioh and modifications may be made without eepa-rtmg from the spirit of the invenei'on as claimed.

-'What '1 claim is:

'1. in a plant setting machine, a rotary plant setting-wheel mourfte'd upon a eransverse igi'or iz'ontai axis and 'inel'uding paced and a plurality of spaced open top bofitom openihg plant=receivihg di'bbletyhe buckets pivotally mounted between said disks adjacent the periphery thereof, "means *operatively connected to said buckets to maintain them in an upright position during rotation of the wheel, -and means for sue-'- cessively opening said buckets ,to deposit plants in the ground as each bucket arrivesfat its lowermost position during rotation of the wheel, eaehbucket comprising an elongated tube pointed at 'it'S IO'WEI 811d B1116. having a bot-170111 openin'g disposed at an acute angle relative to the 1011- 8 said buckets including a crank fixed to said bail and a cam mounted adjacent the lowermost portion of said wheel in the path of said crank to contact and swing the same as each bucket arrives at the aforesaid lowermost position.

2.111 a device as described 111 Claim 1, further characterized by a guide rod on said tube, and an eye member carried by said closure and slidable on said guide bar.

CLAUDE L. CARELOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

U i' T T PATENT Number Name Date 269,898 Tille'y 1 11 Jan. 2, 1883 398,754 Stratton Feb. '26, 1889 $461,920 Mole 1 Oct. '27., 1891 518,657 Whitworth Apr. 24, 1894 859,536 Albert July 9, 19.07 893,886 Tinsma'n July 21, 1908 1,092,455 Riemensehn'eider Apr. 7, 1914 1,230,806 Shafier June 19, 1917 1,753,017 Oppenhei'm Apr. 1, 1930 1,802,273 Richards .et a1. Apr. 21, 1931 1,806,622 Gibbens May '26, 1931 2,932,251 Brooks 1 Feb. 25, 1936 2,348,787 Cordes May 16, 1944 2,486,462 Carelock Nov. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 205,825 Great Britain Jan. 15,1925 422,252 Germany Nov. 30, 1925 658,498 France Jan. 26, 1929 

